A day out in Leicestershire & Rutland - September 8, 2012

Roger and I set off for Eye Brook Reservoir but stopped just after we turned onto Stockeston Lane to view what we assumed was a Red Kite in a tree.  As I stopped the car a bird appeared to fly off the road and go over the hedge into a field.  It soon reappeared on the top of the hedge and we identified it as a Wheatear, our first local autumn record.  We then checked out the bird of prey and our assumptions were right as it was a Red Kite.

We continued to Eye Brook Reservoir almost running over eight Red-legged Partridges as they were reluctant to fly and just ran down the road in front of us.  They were obviously released birds and we saw many more at Eye Brook Reservoir.  We stopped at the entrance to Holly Oaks Farm and were rewarded with good views of two Lesser Whitethroats, a Whitethroat and a single Chiffchaff.  At another stop we found another Lesser Whitethroat but a party of circa fifty passerines in flight, which we assumed were Linnets, just disappeared.  There was no sign of the Little Owls in the old oak and it has been some time now since we last them.

We stopped on the Rutland bank and located two Little Egrets and a Buzzard fling over one of the fields on the Leicestershire bank, which was seen to try and catch a Red-legged Partridge unsuccessfully.  We could hear a Raven calling but we couldn’t see it so we walked back to gate where we had a better view.  We didn’t locate the Raven but in the filed there was an Osprey perched in a tree and we suspected that it had roosted there last night as all the local birds have apparently departed.  A Grey Wagtail then flew over calling, which is not a common bird at Eye Brook Reservoir.

We moved further down the Rutland bank a located three female/immature Goldeneye and circa thirty Swallow were feeding low over the water.

Having had enough of the north arm we moved off the Egleton Reserve and after some lunch we went to lagoon four.  We soon found eight Ringed Plover, three Dunlin, a Ruff and a Greenshank and we eventually found four Ruff.  There were also fourteen Pintail on the lagoon and eventually found five Little Egrets.  Two Red Kites then flew over the lagoon and two Hobby provided good views on several occasions.

Hobby over lagoon four

Hobby over lagoon four

Hobby over lagoon four

Greenshank on lagoon four

Lagoon three whilst holding a good number of duck failed to produce anything of note and lagoon one fared little better with just a single Little Egret being found.

The morning had started very well with the Wheatear and had continued through the day, although it did become quiet during the hottest part of the day but the Hobbies kept us entertained.  There was also a significant number of Migrant Hawkers on the wing, which is what the Hobby was probably after.